Theresa May backs Thatcher statue despite vandalism fears

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday that plans for a statue of Margaret Thatcher should go forward, despite concerns that it might be vandalized.

A proposal to erect a ten-foot bronze statue of the former prime minister in Parliament Square was rejected Thursday night by the Royal Parks, a U.K. government agency. It said Thatcher's family did not approve of the plan and the statue could be targeted by vandals.

But May said the potential for vandalism should not block plans to honor Britain's first female prime minister.

"I understand there are a number of issues that have been raised around the statue. What I'm very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up," May told the BBC.

Parliament Square is adorned with statues of famous leaders such as Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. There is typically a 10-year gap between the death of a subject and erection of a public memorial (Thatcher died in 2013).

In a letter to the Royal Parks, the Thorney Island Society, which represents local residents, expressed numerous objections to the current proposal.

“While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country," wrote Lucy Peck, a society representative. "There is a strong case for the 10-year rule to be respected — there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism."

Thatcher's daughter Carol wrote a letter to the group which commissioned the statue, the Public Memorials Appeal, in which she complained about the design (specifically the absence of a handbag).